The plan today was to go to Bethlehem but before that we needed to get a public transport card as well as a local sim card. We walked from home to a coffee shop that according to google sold transport cards but they didn't, they directed us to a nearby shopping centre. In there they weren't sure whether the transport cards were required for buses to Bethlehem as it's in Palestinian territory, where Israeli taxis, hire cars and buses aren't permitted (which is why most recommendations online are to visit as part of a tour). They made a phone call and it turns out they weren't. We did get a card anyway as it could be useful for Tel Aviv. We then went looking to purchase a sim card, it took a while but we finally got one, then it was off to Bethlehem.
Google Maps had good public transport directions, so we had no trouble walking to the bus stop and we just paid cash when we boarded. Getting off at the last stop we ran the gauntlet of taxi drivers wanting to take us to Manger Square and walked there albeit through very quiet back streets. It's always a relief in these situations when you see other tourists, even if they are as lost as us.
We found Manger Square and the Milk Grotto before entering the aptly named Church of the Nativity. Once inside we realised why the streets were so quiet, every tourist in town was lined up for the Nativity Grotto, the birthplace of Jesus. How long it would take for your turn was mind boggling looking at the entire hall filled with a snaking line waiting to get a glimpse.
We decided to walk to the Israeli and Palestinian Separation Wall. A hideous high concrete wall that in every way resembles a prison wall with towers, which is pretty much what it is. The wall was covered in graffiti and local stories and has become a site popular with the artist Banksy. Banksy has also opened a hotel called the "Walled Out Hotel" where every room overlooks the concrete wall. The hotel had lots of quirky Banksy art as well art from other as other artists.
On the trip back to Jerusalem the bus stopped, a group of local girls got off and then the military boarded to check our passports. Once that was done the girls got back on, showing their IDs as they entered. Unfortunately the bus driver didn't stop where we wanted him to, taking us almost all the way to the old city before he let us get off, luckily it wasn't too far from the restaurant area we wanted to visit, so we only had to back track a little bit.
No comments:
Post a Comment